TPAC Standards & Criteria

TPAC STANDARDS & CRITERIA

All units should review their Standards and Criteria documents regularly, with any changes approved by the unit's eligible voting faculty; changes are normally effective immediately.

Standards and Criteria documents should be shared with untenured faculty (assistant professors, associate professors without tenure, and all ranks of lecturers) at the time of their annual or mid-contract reviews. Any substantive changes to the document should be shared with them in a timely manner, after the document has been approved by the eligible voting faculty.

All Standards and Criteria documents should be consistent with University policies articulated in the Faculty Rules and Regulations and in the Handbook of Academic Administration.

The most important outcome of this process is to ensure that your Standards and Criteria convey clear guidance about standards for reappointment, promotion, and tenure. While it is naturally very difficult to set specific benchmarks, there should be some effort to articulate expectations about excellence in research, teaching, and service. Examples of guidance include:

·         what sorts of publications are regarded most highly

·         significance of grants and fellowships

·         what is expected for promotion to Associate Professor and what is expected for a subsequent promotion to full Professor

·         what are the different ways in which teaching will be assessed, including peer observations

·         finally, you should be certain that the rights and expectations for all ranks relevant to your unit are covered in your 

Standards and Criteria document.